


I Know Places We Can Hide

by vocalline



Series: SHINeEXO: College AU [1]
Category: EXO (Band), SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Genderswap, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 09:34:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4474265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vocalline/pseuds/vocalline
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When college students play dumb games, things happen. What you choose to do with those things can change your life.</p><p>--</p><p><b>Pairing(s)/Focus:</b> Jongin/girl!Jinki (Kai/girl!Onew)<br/><b>Side Pairings:</b> girls!Key/Jonghyun/Minho, Taemin/girl!Chanyeol, girls!Lu Han/Minseok, Jongdae/girl!Joonmyeon mentioned Yunho/girl!Jinki<br/><b>Genre:</b> College AU, slice of life, angst,<br/><b>Warnings:</b> alcohol use, underage drinking (everyone is 18+ however drinking age in the US is 21, and this is a rather ambiguous college town setting). Baekhyun being a pest</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Taylor Swift's "I Know Places". 
> 
> This is Book 1 of a series of College AU stories that happen parallel to each other.
> 
> Huge thank yous to the absolutely wonderful mods, and to Team Pansy for looking over my outline and letting me bounce ideas off of you. 
> 
> Thank you to g-odalisque13 for looking this over so last minute, and even though it was mostly just flailing lol ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ 
> 
> And to all of the authors out there who write longfic regularly, you are an awesome bunch of people. This has been a true challenge for me and my longest fic to date. I don't understand how you do the things you do but bless you ♥︎

Jinki scrubs the make-up remover wipe over her cheek again, the last remains of the nicely drawn black and gold eagle finally letting go of her skin. "Key, I don't understand why I have to go to this party!" she says, spinning around in her chair and tossing the wipe into the bin.

"Jinki," Key starts, stripping yet another shirt over her head before diving back into her closet. Her voice is firm, yet somewhat muffled as she continues to speak, "I'm just saying that you work too hard. It's only August! School's just started, and you're already claiming that you're too busy to hang out on a Saturday night."

Jinki sighs, pulling her feet up into the chair she's sitting on. She watches silently as Key steps out of the closet, tugging a short gold bodycon dress down around her hips. "But I _am_ busy. I have the TA job and if I don't keep my grades up then, I lose that. If I lose that, then I lose the apartment and—"

"Jinki." Key waits until the older girl looks up at her. "Stop." Before Jinki can open her mouth to say something else, Key continues, "You're stressing out for no reason. You and I both know that your grades have always been stellar, and they'll stay that way. They wouldn't have offered you the position if they didn't think you could handle it." She walks over to Jinki, spinning her around in the chair so that she faces the mirror. “Beside, you know I’ll make you look irresistible,” she says with a grin and wink as she pulls Jinki’s hair down from its ponytail.

With a sigh, Jinki relents, wincing at Key’s excited yell. Even if she doesn’t enjoy herself, at least she will look good.

\--

And look good she does. Key had even been generous enough to curl Jinki’s long hair after checking and double checking the smoky eye makeup she had applied. After finding an outfit and smudging just a little red tint onto Jinki’s full lips, Key had declared her a masterpiece and they had set out.

Jinki takes the last sip of her second drink, glancing around the room, tugging self consciously at the hem of the short, form fitting skirt Key had talked her into. It’s the annual Black & Gold Night, the first soccer event of the season. In spite of the fact that there were two games earlier, the men’s and women’s teams, everyone is dressed in their best now, the lights dim and the music loud.

She knows nearly everyone in the apartment, a perk of having a brother on the team and being friends with most of the former and current players. There’s a makeshift DJ booth set up on the back patio, the kitchen stocked with just about every kind of alcohol imaginable, and the living room full of seating, most of it taken.

She’s amused, watching Taemin and his friends play around near the DJ booth, her brother stealing glances at the girl behind the turntable when Key’s voice pulls at her attention. “What?” she asks, turning to look at the other girl.

"You should go play," Key says, tilting her head toward the living room as they hear the last call for Truth or Dare players.

Jinki rolls her eyes. “I agreed to come here and hang out, not to come here and play high school games with a bunch of drunk undergrads.”

“And we’ve been wonderful company,” Junghee pipes up as she walks into the kitchen and slings an arm around both Minjung and Key, grinning. “But, you really should play. Find a someone or two to take home!”

Minjung nods in agreement, leaning down to nuzzle at Junghee’s neck. “You never know what will happen.”

“Well, I do know one thing that I _don’t_ want to happen,” Jinki says, moving to the makeshift bar set up on the kitchen counter. “I do not want to stand here and watch you three suck face all night.” She sees Key pull a face from the corner of her eye as she mixes a splash of lemonade into more grape vodka than she should be allowed to have. She picks up her drink, giving them all a mock salute and heads toward the living room, Key and Junghee’s laughter following her.

Jinki steps into the edge of the sitting area, eyeing the group gathered there. She knows most of them. Byun Baekhyun and Kim Jongdae, both juniors, practically sitting on top of each other on the couch. She glances around for the other member of their little trio, Park Chanyeol, but finds her mysteriously absent even though the music coming from the back patio is now some generic online stream of dance tracks instead of the junior’s signature rock/hip-hop mix. Kim Minseok and Lu Han are piled into an armchair, both first year grad students like Jinki, former soccer players for the university, and completely inseparable since Jinki has known them. Two of Taemin’s sophomore friends, Kim Moonkyu and Kim Wonshik, are taking up the rest of the space on the couch. There are several freshmen standing around as well, but she only knows one, Oh Sehun, the freshman volleyball recruit she remembers Chanyeol raving about, who runs in Taemin’s circle of friends.

“ _Lee Jinki!_ ” Baekhyun exclaims when he notices her standing beside him. “Are you actually joining our game!?” 

“Peer pressure,” she answers flatly, taking a long drink from her cup and reaching out to tug on his hair, making him flail at her and crash into Jongdae as he giggles.

Baekhyun is a cute kid, more than a bit noisy even at the best of times and it quickly becomes apparent that he is the ringleader of the game. Jinki holds back a laugh at how appropriate it is, considering how bossy and talkative he can be. She had threatened to throw a binder at him in the class she was assisting in only _yesterday_ because he just wouldn’t stop talking. 

He sets up the rules (spin the bottle, ask “truth or dare?”, two shot penalty if you refuse the challenge) and then spins the bottle to let it pick the first player. It lands on Jongdae who does a little happy dance in his seat, almost knocking Baekhyun off the couch.

The first few spins of the bottle are tame. Jongdae’s lands on Moonkyu, who asks for truth, and then blushes cutely when Jongdae asked if he liked a certain girl. Moonkyu’s lands on Lu Han, who practically purrs “dare” from where she’s seated on Minseok’s lap. Her dare is just to kiss Minseok but of course, Lu Han has to make a show of it, Baekhyun and Jongdae catcalling the whole time. 

Lu Han spins next and it lands on Baekhyun. He looks at her warily before saying, “dare.”

Minseok leans forward to whisper something in Lu Han’s ear that makes her giggle before she says, “Lose your shirt, Byun Baek.” 

Jinki has only witnessed the boy speechless once or twice in the time that she’s known him, and when his mouth drops open for a moment before he presses his lips into a thin line, she adds this one to the list, taking a sip of her drink to hide her laugh.

“I’ll take the penalty, thanks,” he mutters after a moment, an embarrassed flush spreading over his cheeks. Lu Han laughs, leans over to grab his empty solo cup and a bottle of soju. 

By Jinki’s estimate, that’s at least double the penalty that Lu Han pours, but Baekhyun drinks it down in one shot, shuddering at the aftertaste as he places his cup on the coffee table. He smacks his lips as he reaches for the bottle, giving it a quick spin.

Baekhyun claps with delight when the bottle comes to a stop pointing directly at Jinki, his eyes bright when he grins in her direction. "Seven minutes in heaven!" he crows excitedly.

Jinki blinks at him owlishly. "You didn't even ask me the thing!"

He rolls his eyes. " _Fine_. Truth or dare?"

"Dare," she says, a smug smirk on her face when Baekhyun pouts and rolls his eyes at her. “And you better not be the one joining me in the closet!” She drains the rest of her drink and places the cup on the coffee table.

He laughs, nearly toppling himself off the arm of the couch. "Maybe. Maybe not," he singsongs, gesturing toward the closet in the hallway. "Someone will be there in a second. Lights off."

She closes the door behind her, leaning against the wall. “This is so stupid.” She wonders who Baekhyun is going to pick, thinking over the group that was playing. He’d probably pick one of the girls or Taemin’s friends just for laughs.

There’s a knock then. "Hey! Shut your eyes," Baekhyun's voice filters through the closet door.

Jinki huffs, playing along with him. "Okay!" She can hear some kind of scuffling happening on the other side of the door, just before it opens, the light from the outside lighting up the backs of her eyelids before the door closes.

She opens her eyes. All she can see is the faint light coming in around the edges of the door and she can feel a drunken giggle creeping up her throat as she wonders exactly why she's playing childish games in the coat closet of a stranger’s house. She reaches out blindly, her fingers not finding anything or anyone.

"Um...is someone in here?" Silence. "Hey! Baekhyun, you little shit! You—"

"I'm here." The words are nearly whispered from somewhere in front of her, and the voice is very distinctly _not_ Baekhyun's.

"Oh. Hi!" Jinki laughs, reaching out and waving her hands around, trying to find the other person. "Where are you?" It’s not that big of a closet.

There’s a shuffling noise, feet on carpet, and then her fingers are colliding with someone’s chest. She just feels for a moment, splaying her fingers against the firmness she can feel though his shirt. Jinki giggles stupidly, curling her fingers into the soft material under her fingers as he moves just a little closer. "What the hell am I doing? Playing stupid kid games and locked in a closet and expected to make out with a—" There are lips on hers then, so soft, almost hesitant, the angle not that great in the dark. But then he pulls away, stepping back even.

“Sorry, I—” He sounds so....Shy? Scared? Jinki’s not sure what it is.

“No!” Jinki exclaims, holding onto his shirt. “It’s okay. It was nice. I just. That’s the point of the game right?” She moves closer, tipping her face up, smiling when her nose bumps against his chin. 

_This really is turning out to be a rather interesting night,_ she thinks, _and kind of fun._ It really has been way too long since she’s done anything like this, and kissing is nice...

“Yeah, I guess it is,” he says with a laugh. 

“Since we agree, you should kiss me again. If you want,” Jinki whispers, hoping that he does want. She can feel the _thump-thump_ of his heartbeat under her fingers, quick and nervous.

“O-okay.” He steps closer, and Jinki tugs at his clothes a little until she’s snug between him and the wall.

The angle is all weird again, noses nearly colliding, but they figure it out quickly enough, their lips slotting together. His lips are a little chapped, but moving so softly against hers. Jinki hears the tiny sound he makes, a whimper, his lips parting just a bit against hers. Her hands slip up his neck, fingers flitting against his jaw before pushing into his hair and pulling his head down as she closes her teeth gently on his lower lip, a low moan rumbling against her lips as his jaw relaxes, mouth dropping open.

Jinki can taste vodka, sharp and bitter, she's not sure if it's on her lips or his, and fuck, he's so warm and she just can’t get close enough to him. She shifts, tilting closer to him until her breasts are pushing into his chest. She hears a low groan, feels his arms coming up around her. 

Her head is swimming when his hands just barely slip under her shirt, his fingers splaying over the skin of her waist above her skirt. He doesn't go any further, but he tips his head to the side, licking into her mouth when she gasps. 

It’s too good, too fast, and Jinki pulls back a little, panting against his mouth. She can feel the prickle of arousal under her skin, her breasts feeling full and tight in her clothes, pressed up against him. She chalks up the heady desire to just not doing this often. He feels good against her, and she almost feels embarrassed about the sudden heat curling in her belly, the tension between her thighs, the sheer _want_ that has her tipping her head back against the wall and leaving her neck open to his mouth. She can feel his fingers twitching, squeezing hesitantly at her waist, but not moving any further under her clothes.

God, she _really_ just wants him to touch her. Now. All over.

"Hey, uh. I—" She reaches down, fingers finding his wrist. "You can, if you want." She tugs his hand upward beneath her shirt, pliant in her hold, his knuckles skimming over her side until she places her hand over the back of his, molding it against her breast. 

"This is okay?" he whispers, his mouth hot and wet on her skin. She can feel the hitch in his breathing against her neck. 

She nods. "Yes. Yeah." She arches into his touch when he squeezes gently, his fingertips warm even through the light padding of her bra. She has to bite her lip in the next second when his thumb brushes her nipple at the same time he sucks hard at her pulse. She feels like she’s coming apart, her hands tightening in his hair, on his shoulders.

Her right leg comes off the floor, wrapping around the back of his, pulling him closer, one of his thighs slipping between hers. She tugs him back up for a kiss, wet and open mouthed. “You feel so good,” she says into his lips before pulling away to catch her breath.

He laughs, ducking his head, the sound soft and muffled against her shoulder as he noses at the strap of her shirt. “Thanks? You do, too,” he says, voice low, and oh, she can feel him against her hip, cock half-hard in his jeans when he presses closer. 

She’s never been so thankful for a convertible bra as she is in the next moment when his fingers catch on the cup of her bra, tugging down a little, enough for his thumb to rub at her nipple with out the fabric in the way.

“Is this alright?” he asks, lips trailing over her jaw, the hand not under her shirt, moving to grip at her thigh that’s wound around his.

She nods, whimpering, and she doesn’t even try to stop herself as she grinds down against his thigh, her skirt riding up her thighs with the movement. She moans when his fingers pull at the cup of her bra again. His hand is broad and warm as he kneads at her breast gently, making her arch her back. She knows how sensitive she is but it has never felt like this before, not this intense. 

His mouth is on her neck again, his breath hot when he pants, pushing his hips against hers. She slips a hand down, fingers sliding under his shirt, playing at the waistband of his jeans. 

“Can I touch you, too?” she asks, her other hand on the back of his head, keeping him close.

“Please?” he whimpers, nuzzling at her shoulder, moaning when her fingers trail across the flat of his tummy, catching on his belly button. He makes a startled little noise, nipping at her collarbone, when her hand moves down between them, her fingers moving over the fly of his jeans. 

Jinki can’t help the moan that slips out when she feels him twitch against her fingers through the denim. “It’s okay?” she asks even though she’s pretty sure she knows the answer with the way he shudders, pushing against her, the hand up her shirt spasming against her breast.

“Yes.” 

She shivers at how ragged his voice sounds, the way his fingers feel gripping at her thigh as he tries to pull her closer, slipping under the ever rising hemline of her skirt. She wants _more_. She curls her hand around his dick feeling the shape of him through the material, swiping her thumb up the length of it.

He raises his head, panting, kissing her breathless as he pushes into her hand. She grabs the hand on her thigh, pushing it under her skirt. “Me too,” she gasps, biting at his lower lip, “please.” She is almost sure his moan is louder than hers when she guides his fingers to the front of her panties. His touch is clumsy, but she keeps her hand on his, showing him what she likes, where she likes it.

“That’s it,” she whispers, “like that.” She flattens her palm against the fly of his jeans, rubbing over dick, liking the sounds that he makes against her lips, the way he moves into the touch.

“Fuck,” she breathes into his mouth, pushing her hips against his hand. “Please.” His fingers are warm and so firm, and she’s so wet, the slick easing the friction of cotton against her clit as he presses, fingertips rubbing tight circles against her.

There’s a bang, a rattling of the doorknob. “Hey! Time’s up!” Baekhyun yells from the other side. 

Jinki nearly sobs when his fingers go still, and she chases the touch, arching her back, whining. “Please, I just.” It wouldn’t take much, maybe his fingers pushing her panties to the side and—

Baekhyun pounds on the door again. “Come on out,” he singsongs, the words sounding slow and slurred to Jinki’s ears. She vaguely wonders who else tried to get him to take his clothes off and made him take a penalty drink. The thought is enough to pull her back from the edge.

“Gonna kill him,” Jinki murmurs. There is a laugh rumbling against her lips, a soft sigh, and then the hands under her clothes are sliding away, _he_ moves away, leaving Jinki to sag against the wall, panting. She can feel the slight trembling of his hands as he touches over her clothes, straightening her skirt the best he can in the dark. 

When his hand slides up her arm, fingers taking hold of the strap of her shirt to move it back to her shoulder, Jinki reaches for him, pulling him in by his shirt and kissing him firmly on the mouth. 

“I’m sorry. You know. That you. That I couldn’t.” The words are whispered against her lips. He sounds so embarrassed and apologetic that Jinki wonders if he’s blushing, what he looks like, and wonders why she hasn’t thought about that the whole time they’ve been in the closet. 

“It’s okay,” she answers, smiling, wriggling a little to situate her bra, kissing him again as Baekhyun raps on the door once more. Jinki leans into the touch that flutters against her cheek before he pulls away.

“Um. I have to go now, noona.”

“Yeah, he’s—” The honorific registers then. “ _’Noona’_? Do you _know_ me?” She reaches out, catching him by the arm.

“No! I mean, Baekhyun-hyung said—”

“Baekhyun- _hyung_? You’re younger than him. Christ. What the hell? I really can’t stand him, oh my god.” Jinki can’t stop the babbling falling from her mouth, just like when he had first kissed her.

“I’m sorry,” he says quietly.

Jinki frowns at how disheartened he sounds and goes up on her toes, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Don’t be. All part of the game. Right?” He laughs a little at that, turning to catch her mouth in with a quick, rather chaste kiss.

“Bye, noona.” 

The door opens and he slips out. The light from outside, however dim, is still too bright for her eyes to adjust, and she only catches a glimpse of black hair and a grey t-shirt before she’s surrounded by darkness again.

She takes a moment to catch her breath, her lips still tingling, probably swollen from the kissing. There are probably marks on her neck from his mouth, too, and she shakes her hair over her shoulders to try to hide them. Most uncomfortable of all is the throbbing and wetness between her thighs, but there’s nothing she can do about that for now. 

When she feels sure that she’s somewhat presentable, she steps of the closet and walks back into the living room to a round of cat calls, mostly from Baekhyun and Jongdae. “I’m never playing with you guys again,” she says, squinting as her vision adjusts to the lighting.

“Oh, c’mon! It couldn’t have been that bad,” Jongdae says, spinning the bottle absentmindedly. It seems like the game has crumbled into taking shots since she went into the closet.

She looks around for her friends, only seeing Minseok and Lu Han still seated in the chair in the living room, their backs to the hallway.

“Key left this for you,” Lu Han says, holding out Jinki’s cell phone. She grins, her eyes raking over Jinki. “You have fun in there?”

Jinki rolls her eyes, because of course Key has left her here alone. She is suddenly very aware of how bruised her lips must look. “It was nice enough. Do you know who...?” 

Both Minseok and Lu Han shake their heads. “Baekhyun got someone not playing with us, I think,” Minseok answers. 

Jinki purses her lips, fiddling with her phone case. “I think I’m just going to head home,” she says.

“We’re going to head out, too,” Lu Han says, climbing off of Minseok’s lap before pulling the other girl up. “We’ll walk home with you.” 

It’s not a bad idea, Jinki thinks, nodding in agreement. She feels a little tipsier than usual and it doesn’t hurt that Lu Han and Minseok live in the same building. She keeps an eye out for a grey t-shirt as they make their way out of the apartment, feeling a little disappointed when she doesn’t see anyone matching the description.

The girls drop Jinki off at the 5th floor, bidding her goodnight as the elevator closes. She keys in her lock code and lets herself into her apartment. It’s dark and quiet, and Jinki guesses that Taemin hasn’t come home yet.

Jinki barely remembers to wipe her face down before she strips out of her clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor, finding a big t-shirt to change into. She falls into bed, rolling onto her back, biting her lip as she pushes her hand down the front of her panties. 

She’s still wet and it doesn’t take much for her to be back on the edge again, remembering the way his mouth had felt against her neck, his fingers against her clit. She slips her other hand up her shirt, playing over her nipples, gasping into the dark. She comes with cry, muffling the sound against her pillow as her body tightens.

She pants, relaxing into the mattress as she pulls her hand from her underwear, wiping it on her sheets. She rolls over, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to her chest, feeling so very tired.

 _I should probably get some water,_ she thinks to herself before she closes her eyes and drifts off.

\--

Jinki wakes with a monster of a headache. Her mouth tastes stale and she really just wants a drink of water. She manages to pull on a pair of sweats just in case anyone is home and stumbles into the bathroom before making her way into the kitchen.

Taemin is sitting at the table, hunched over his cereal bowl as he taps away at his phone. He looks up, not bothering to hold back his laugh at his sister's appearance. "Did you have fun last night?"

She grunts in reply, grabbing a glass from the dish rack and sticking it under the tap. Two glasses later, she feels a tiny bit better and drops into the chair across from Taemin. "Where did you get off to?" she mumbles, pillowing her head on her arms.

A smug grin crosses Taemin's face. "I was managing to score myself a date for Friday night while you were lining up to play make-out games with most of the athletics department," he answers around a mouthful of cereal.

Jinki picks her head up so quickly the room spins. “Date? With who!?"

Taemin actually blushes, and Jinki can't resist reaching out to poke his cheek as he looks into his bowl shyly. "Park Chanyeol," he says quietly, almost disbelieving.

"You actually asked her out?! I thought she was going out with Baekhyun!"

He shakes his head, his eyes crinkling with his smile. "No, they're just friends."

“Oh my god, Taemin, that’s awesome!” Jinki, more than anyone, has been witness to more of Taemin’s pining for the leggy volleyball player over the last year than anyone else.

"Anyway," Taemin singsongs, getting up from his seat. "You must have had a good time after I wandered off. Who'd you hook up with?"

Jinki blinks at him, watching him wash his cereal bowl and mug, an embarrassed flush creeping up her neck. "Who says I hooked up with anyone?" She has never been one to fool around with anyone. Hell, she’s never been in a relationship before. She’s pretty sure that spring break fling with Minjung two years ago doesn’t count because it was just tit fondling and _maybe_ Minjung’s hand down her swimsuit bottoms. She doesn’t remember for the alcohol involved, though that wasn’t exactly a factor last night.

Either way, she wasn’t _that_ drunk last night, and she definitely doesn’t know who Baekhyun sent into the closet with her, but Taemin doesn’t need to know any of these details.

Taemin glances at her, eyebrow raised. "You _were_ playing make out games last night, noona. But you haven't looked at yourself since you rolled out of bed have you?"

She scoffs at him. "Why would I? I don't have to impress you or anyone else," she grumbles, laying her head back on her arms. She never found out who the mystery guy was last night, even nosy Key hadn't seen her hook up.

Taemin laughs. "Apparently, you impressed someone last night, if your hickies are anything to go by."

"What?" Jinki shoots up from the table, Taemin's laughter following her down the hallway as she stumbles into the bathroom to the mirror.

"Holy _shit_ ," she gasps. Her oversized shirt has slipped down, baring her shoulder and collarbones. The evidence is right there in purple and red.

Taemin’s obnoxious laugh fills the bathroom when he pushes by her to get to his toothbrush. “So who was it? Some senior soccer stud?” He wiggles his eyebrows at her.

“First, never, ever say that phrase to me again,” Jinki says, spinning around to point in his face. “Secondly, I have absolutely no idea.” She drops down to sit on the side of the bathtub, mouth open in shock as the previous night comes flooding back to her.

She remembers the kisses, hot and wet, and the want, the touches, and him letting her lead him. She remembers tipping her head back against the wall and his mouth on her and then Baekhyun pounding on the door, laughing while—

Baekhyun. _Byun Baekhyun_ , who is in the Monday-Wednesday-Friday Modern Lit class she assists with.

“I can’t go to school like this tomorrow, oh my god. I’m going to murder Baekhyun!” Jinki shrieks, pulling at her own hair as she looking into the mirror again. Taemin laughs, choking on a mouthful of toothpaste foam.

She pushes past him to go back to the kitchen, grabbing a bagel and throwing it in the toaster before she heads to her room to fire off a text to Key and get dressed.

 

**To: Key**  
_im coming over. now._

 

\--

When the door to Key’s apartment opens, Jinki doesn’t waste a second, pushing by Junghee. “Where’s Key?”

Junghee groans, rubbing her hands over her face after she closes the door. “Don’t be so loud. She’s in the shower.” She flops facedown onto the couch. “She’ll be out soon. Let me have some quiet time until then. Please.”

Jinki seats herself on the big armchair, silently fuming at Baekhyun for the game, at Key for talking her into the party, at Minjung and Junghee for talking her into the game. She looks up when Minjung comes into the room and proceeds to sit on Junghee’s butt.

“If you don’t get off of me, I’m going to puke. If I puke, Key is going to kill me. Do you want her to kill me?” Junghee groans. Minjung laughs, moving and shifting Junghee around until the older girl’s head is pillowed in her lap.

“What brings you here so early?” Minjung asked Jinki. 

Jinki glares at her. “I need Key’s help with something,” she answers but doesn’t elaborate further. Minjung’s eyes narrow at her a little before she shrugs and turns on the TV.

When Key walks through a few minutes later, headed for the kitchen, Jinki curses her ever observant nature. 

“Jinki, it’s August. It’s not nearly cold enough for a scarf,” she says, opening the refrigerator.

Jinki barely gives the other girl a chance to grab a couple bottles of water, tossing one across the room to Minjung for Junghee, before she grabs her by the arm and drags her further into the kitchen. She makes sure that the other two can’t see her before unwinding the thick material. The way that Key’s eyes widen is almost comical.

“Tell me how to fix it,” Jinki hisses. “I am not going to school looking like this tomorrow.”

Key slaps a hand over her mouth but it doesn’t stop the laughter. “Oh my god. You didn’t!”

“I _did_! Come to the party, you said. Play the game, you said. So I went and I played, and now look. at. me.” She rewraps the scarf.

Key is still laughing but gently takes Jinki by the arm, leading her to her bedroom. “We’ll get you fixed up, and I’ll show you how to take care of it until it goes away.” She waits until Jinki is seated in the chair by her vanity before she says, “please, at least, tell me you took this person home for you to be looking like they mauled your neck.”

Jinki hides her face in her hands, face flushing. “This all happened in the closet and I have no idea who he was because _Baekhyun_ picked him.”

Key practically howls with laughter. “Oh, honey. This is why we all know not to trust Baekhyun. Did you miss the memo?”

Jinki whimpers pitifully, and Key gets to work, explaining as she goes.

\--

Monday morning is not bad considering the weekend shenanigans. Jinki even makes it through the 10 AM Modern Lit class without having to threaten Baekhyun. She’s a little apprehensive about the makeup covering the marks on her neck, but when no one mentions them by lunch, she’s sure Key’s tutorial has more than worked.

She joins Minseok, Lu Han, and Junghee for lunch at the diner around the corner from the university, barely managing to make it through the doors before the lunch rush really starts. 

Junghee is getting all the information about Saturday night from the two former soccer players while Jinki drowns her chicken tenders in honey mustard.

“Okay, you guys, enough. Hahaha. You’ve had your laugh at ‘up-tight Lee Jinki’ making out with some kid at Baekhyun’s party,” she grumbles. 

“ _Kid_?” Junghee almost falls out of her seat laughing. “Oh my god, how old was he?”

“I don’t know,” Jinki whines. “He just called me ‘noona’ and Baekhyun ‘hyung’—oh my god, he’s like Taemin’s age. Isn’t he?” She drops her food onto her plate, the horrified look on her face making the others laugh.

“So he knew you?” Minseok pipes up.

“He said no. I guess Baekhyun called me ‘noona’ to him, probably.”

“Hey, well. I mean, if you’re good, you’re good,” Lu Han says, wiggling her eyebrows. “Was he good?” 

Jinki groans. “Yes, okay. I’d have taken him home if I could have found him before we left. Maybe.” They get more than a few looks thrown at their table when everyone laughs loudly, but they let the subject drop. Even then, Jinki can feel her cheeks burning through the rest of lunch.

\--

Wednesday is a disaster. Jinki almost wakes up too late to cover her neck, and Taemin laughs at her over his breakfast as she runs around the apartment getting ready. It’s pouring rain and her shoes are soaked by the time she makes it to her tiny grad student office space.

She boots up her computer and sets the printer to making copies of the handout for today’s classes. She is digging through her bag searching for her cell phone when there’s a knock on the door. “Come in,” she calls. She gives up looking for the phone with a sigh, leaning back in her chair.

“Hey.”

Jinki looks up to see Taemin poking his head in the door. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

He pushes into the office, reaching back to hand his umbrella off to someone as he balances a carry out tray in his other hand. Jinki rolls her chair around the desk to see Kim Jongin, Taemin’s best friend, standing in the hallway. “Morning, Jongin,” she calls out. 

The boy waves a greeting to her, yawning and looking half asleep as his shoulder knocks into the wall outside her office.

Taemin places the tray on Jinki’s desk with a flourish. “You were in such a hurry and I know you didn’t eat or make coffee so...” 

Jinki’s mouth is nearly watering at the smell of fresh biscuits and coffee. “Oh my god, I love you. You’re the best little brother ever.”

“I’m your _only_ brother,” he shoots back, rolling his eyes, and reaching around to pull Jinki’s cell phone from his back pocket. “You left this at home too.”

“Bless you,” Jinki says gratefully around a mouthful of chicken biscuit.

“You’re disgusting,” Taemin states matter of factly. “Oh, noona. You...” He gestures at his neck and Jinki’s eyes widen. 

She grabs the little mirror on her desk. The cover up on her neck isn’t the best. The sideways rain on the walk to the building probably didn’t help. “Shit.” She pulls her hair down from its ponytail until she can take care of the problem. “Thanks. For that, and breakfast.” 

Taemin grins, his eyes turning into cute crescents. “You’re welcome. Jongin’s coming over after practice tonight. Make us dinner?” Jongin pokes his head around the doorframe at the mention of his name, still blinking sleepily. 

“I guess I can,” she says. “Now, you two get out of here and go to class.”

Taemin gives her a little salute, laughing on his way out. Jongin’s soft “bye, noona” sounds familiar to her ears, but she doesn’t dwell on it because her phone pings with an email telling her she has to lead the Modern Lit class today doling out the readings for _The Great Gatsby_.

“Great,” she says with a grimace.

\--

Jinki cooking dinner turns into Jinki bringing home enough chicken from KFC to feed two bottomless pit teenage soccer players and herself. 

“Sorry, guys,” she says, kicking off her shoes near Taemin’s and Jongin’s before walking into the kitchen. “Last lecture ran late and I had office things to take care of.” Jongin looks up from his notebook, surprised, and Taemin is no where to be found. “Oh. Hi, Jongin. Where’s Taem?”

“Um. He’s in the shower,” Jongin says quietly, getting up and moving to help her unpack the bags of food. 

“It’s fine. I can get this.” Jinki smiles. “You can get drinks and some plates?” He nods, and Jinki notices the pinkness of his cheeks as he moves toward the refrigerator. 

“What happened to your neck?” 

Jinki nearly drops a box of food. “What?”

“The marks. Your makeup is coming off,” Jongin points out, eyes flicking over her neck, as he arranges plates on the table.

“Shit. Nothing, just did something stupid.” Jinki blushes to the tips of her ears. “I’ll be right back.”

She pounds on the bathroom door just to get a rise out of Taemin as she passes by, laughing when she hears him yell. She checks her neck in the mirror over her dresser. It’s not as bad as it was the first day after, but Jongin was right. The fading marks up the right side of her neck are clearly visible. She dabs on enough concealer to hide them again before heading back to the kitchen. 

Jinki yelps when Taemin snaps a towel at her as he comes out of his room. “What was that for?!”

“I almost broke my neck in the shower!”

“Oh, shut up. Let’s go make sure Jongin left us some dinner.”

\--

Minseok and Lu Han treat Jinki to dinner on Thursday after classes end.

“What are you doing this weekend?” Lu Han asks. 

“Not going out with any of you terrible influences. I got enough of that last weekend,” Jinki says.

Minseok laughs. “We’re not that bad. Baekhyun’s the real enemy here.”

“You rang?” 

Jinki groans at her luck, of course, Baekhyun would have to be their waiter. They give their orders, Jinki a little reluctantly, glaring at the boy. 

“Oh, come on, noona. You can’t stay mad at me forever! I’m too cute!” he says, fluttering his eyelashes in her direction. 

Jinki just looks pointedly at the knife on her placemat before he walks away laughing.

Lu Han just blinks at her. “You know, you said yourself the kid was good. Don’t be mad at Baekhyun for picking a good one for you.”

“I still don’t know who it was so that’s beside the point. Anyway, I have no plans this weekend other than catching up on my assignments and my TV shows. Taemin has a date tomorrow night though.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell us? Who?” 

Baekhyun is bringing their drink order as Jinki says, “Park Chanyeol. He finally asked her out last weekend and she said yes.”

“Who’s going out with Chanyeol?” he asks, curious.

Lu Han and Minseok exchange a glance, but don’t answer, leaving Jinki to it. “Taemin’s taking her out tomorrow night. She didn’t tell you?”

Baekhyun’s expression goes strangely dark and his voice is hollow when he says, “No, she didn’t. I’ll be back with your food in a bit.”

“What’s up with him?” Jinki asks, confused. 

Lu Han and Minseok raise their hands innocently. “We have a theory,” Minseok says. “But that’s not our business to tell.”

Jinki actually feels bad at how quiet Baekhyun is every time he comes back to their table after that. She leaves him a little extra for his tip and scribbles “Sorry, B. I’m really not mad at you, okay? Cheer up! ♡-J” on a napkin. 

Later that night, she gets a text.

 

**From: Baekhyun**  
_thanks noona. i’ll try ♡_

 

\--

Friday evening finds Jinki seated on the living room floor, her notebooks and textbooks and laptop taking up the whole coffee table as Taemin gets ready for his date with Chanyeol.

“How do I look?” Taemin asks for the fifth time. 

“You’ve looked fine the last four times you’ve asked,” Jinki says without looking up from her notes. “You have like five minutes before you need to go so just pick something.”

“Noona, please? I want to look nice for her!” Taemin whines.

“For god’s sake, don’t whine in front of her then.” Jinki looks up finally. “Oh.”

Taemin is scuffing his socked toes against the rug, but Jinki thinks this is the best outfit he’s tried on. He has a slim fitting white button down tucked into black jeans, simple and sophisticated. 

“Good oh or bad oh?” 

“Good. I think this is the best one yet.” Jinki can’t help but feel nostalgic about Taemin growing up on her when he lets his breath out in a whoosh and grins at her. It’s just been the two of them for so long. “Seriously, she accepted your invitation to a date. You’re going to be fine.”

“Okay. This is the winner then. Okay.” 

Jinki laughs when he looks around dumbly. “Your phone is on the table by the door. Don’t spill anything on her. Don’t fall on your face. Don’t whine at her like you do at me. Use protection.” Taemin lets loose a choked noise.

“I’m not. We’re not. It’s just one date,” he splutters. 

Jinki waves at him, smiling gently. “Really. Just breathe. And _go_ or you’re going to be late.”

Half an hour later, Jinki flops over onto her side, her butt going numb from sitting on the floor. She’s so close to being done with this assignment but also just so bored. She grabs her phone, content to lay there for the moment and play Two Dots until she runs out of lives.

There’s a knock at the door. Jinki looks toward the door, surprised since she’s not expecting anyone and definitely not dressed for visitors in her baggy sweats and messy bun. She’s beginning to think she is hearing things when the knock comes again. 

She clambers up from the floor and goes to check who the visitor is, opening the door mid-knock to find Jongin standing there.

“Jongin. Hey. What are you doing here? Taem’s out right now.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m. I actually wanted to talk to you,” he says, eyeing her nervously. “If that’s okay?”

“Uh. Okay. Come in, then,” she says, opening the door wider to let him inside. She leads him to the kitchen after he takes his shoes off. “I’m going to make some coffee. Do you want any?” 

Jongin grimaces. “No, thanks.” He takes a seat at the table, likes it’s second nature, which Jinki supposes it is considering he’s been coming over for years. It’s just odd that he’s here without Taemin.

Jinki laughs at that. She always gets the same reaction from Taemin. She sets the coffee pot and leans against the counter to wait. “So what’s up?”

He looks up, wide eyed, his hands twisting together nervously. “I need to talk to you about something.” His feet curl around the legs of his chair.

“Geez, don’t be so nervous.” Jinki laughs. “I’m not going to bite you. Though I have to tell you, if it’s about any of your classes, I’m not an assistant to any of your professors. I might not be much help unless you need me to proofread an assignment.” The coffee pot sputters to a stop then and Jinki takes her cup, moving to sit across from him. “So?”

“I’m sorry,” Jongin blurts, cheeks red. 

“Um. You didn’t do anything?” Jinki is really confused now.

“I mean. I. Your neck. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. And I know you said it was stupid, but I don’t think it was. I didn’t want it to be, but it is and I shouldn’t have listened to Baekhyun-hyung and let him talk me into that and he only did it because he kno—” 

Jinki blinks at the endless stream of babbling, completely lost. “Wait a sec. Jongin. Stop.” 

“—ws that I like. Okay.” The boy’s mouth snaps shut. 

“What did Baekhyun talk you into? Are you in trouble?” Jinki’s only just reconciled with Baekhyun but she very well may maim him if he’s somehow gotten Jongin in trouble.

He shakes his head, biting his lip, not meeting her eyes.

“Jongin, don’t lie to me,” she says, using a tone she’s used before against Taemin to make him tell her things.

“I’m not,” he says softly. “I’m not in any trouble.” He picks his head up, looking her straight in the face. 

“Okay good. And why are you apologizing about my neck anyway? It’s not like you did that.” Jinki takes sip of her coffee.

“Um. But I did.”

Jinki coughs, hot coffee going down completely wrong. “Excuse me?” she wheezes. 

“It was me,” Jongin says. “In the closet at Baekhyun-hyung’s party. He told me to go in there with you.”

Jinki shakes her head, laughing in disbelief. “There’s no way. C’mon, did Baekhyun put you up to this?” She reaches for her phone, shooting off a message to Baekhyun.

 

**To: Baekhyun**  
_haha really funny_

 

“No, he didn’t put me up to anything? I mean, other than the thing at the party,” Jongin says, curling in on himself, not meeting her eyes again. 

Jinki’s phone pings.

 

**From: Baekhyun**  
_what you talkin abt?_

**To: Baekhyun**  
_you sent jongin here to tell me he was in the closet with me tht night_

 

“Jongin, you really shouldn’t go along with Baekhyun’s—” Jinki is cut off by Jongin’s phone ringing, Baekhyun calling him. “Answer it.” 

“Hyung?....No, I. She says you put me up to this.....I know...Okay.” Jongin holds the phone out to her. “He wants to talk to you.” 

Jinki rolls her eyes, but takes the phone. “What?”

“Jinki-noona. I swear I didn’t put him up to this.”

“Then, why is he saying you talked him into something?”

“Um. Noona, please don’t be mad...”

“Baekhyun, do you really expect me to believe you sent him in there?” Jinki laughs incredulously.

“But he’s tell—”

“I called you ‘noona’!” Jongin blurts, loud enough to be heard over Jinki and Baekhyun both. “I called you ‘noona’ and you asked if I knew you and I said no. You said something about me being younger than Baek-hyung. I apologized and you said it was okay, part of the game, and then I left!”

Everything gets extremely quiet for a moment, Jinki staring at Jongin across the table.

“A-and. I remember that your bra. It didn’t have straps,” Jongin whispers, face completely red as Jinki stares at him.

Jinki feels the blood drain out of her face. She hadn’t told anyone exactly what her conversation was that night. She does remember saying “It’s all part of the game” and telling him not to be sorry. No one put the person in that closet with her would have known that. The guy who had his hands under her clothes would be the only other person to know the finer points of her underwear too.

“He called you noona in there?” Baekhyun’s high pitched laugh carries over the line.

“Shut up, Baekhyun,” Jinki says and hangs up on him, setting Jongin’s phone on the table. “You were in that closet with me Saturday night,” she says, staring at her coffee mug.

“Yes, I was.”

Jinki buries her face in her hands. This is unexpected. Of all the people, Baekhyun could have sent in there.... “Why did you listen to Baekhyun?”

“I’m sorry, noona,” he says. “I know I shouldn’t have. I know you said it was something stupid the other night, but I didn’t want it to be.”

Jinki lifts her head. “What do you mean?” 

Jongin shifts in his chair. “I didn’t want it to be something stupid that you did. Or I did. Baekhyun only asked me because he knows that I like you.” His voice is so soft

Jinki swallows hard, pushing her coffee mug away. She doesn’t have an appetite for it anymore. “Does Taemin know? About any of this?”

He shakes his head. “How could I tell him those kind of things?”

“Good. Don’t tell him.”

“Noona?” 

She gets up, pacing the kitchen, still trying to wrap her head around everything. The stuff they had done, the neverending loop of memories that her mind conjured up every morning as she covered the marks on her neck, how could that person be Jongin? Shy, adorable Jongin that she’s known for years, practically his whole life, and she only didn’t think of him as a brother only because, yes he was kind of very good looking but she would _never_ act on something like that for a multitude of reasons. 

The spectrum of emotions that she’s feeling at the moment is huge. She’s embarrassed, angry, attracted.... _No. No, not attracted. No, Jinki,_ she thinks.

“I _asked_ you,” Jinki says, latching onto one emotion finally: anger. “I asked if you knew me and you lied to me.”

“Would that have changed anything?” Jongin asks, playing with his phone, pulling at a loose thread on the case. “If I had told you then that it was me?”

Jinki decides to answer him honestly. “I don’t know, Jongin. I really don’t.” She drops into her chair again everything draining out of her as suddenly as it had come.

“Oh.”

They’re both quiet for a moment. 

“I felt bad, because of that. Lying to you. And when you said the other night that you had done something stupid. I didn’t want to be ‘something stupid’ to you. I really like you, for a long time now. Maybe it was the drinking. I know that’s not a good excuse either, but you know I’m just not one that...does things like that.” Jinki laughs at little because that’s very true. “Maybe Baekhyun-hyung’s prompting helped. Taemin actually told me to keep an eye out for you while he was trying to talk to Chanyeol into a date.” Jongin laughs at that, wiping a hand over his face. “I got inspired, I guess. It was stupid.”

Jinki feels a clenching in her chest at his words. Was this how he felt when she said that she had done something stupid in reference to him?

She reaches out, grabbing his hand, squeezing her fingers around his. “Look. I can’t, I don’t know how to deal with this right now. I just _don’t_. But, I think...I think you should go home for now. Okay?”

He nods, standing, pulling his hand away from hers. She stands too, walking him to the door, still very much dazed. She leans into the wall, watching him slip his shoes on. 

“I just need to figure this all out,” she says when he straightens, standing to his full height. It sounds like a weak explanation even to her own ears.

“I’m sorry.”

“You apologize to me too much,” Jinki says, a fond smile on her face.

“Sor...Okay. I’ll stop,” he says. He smiles a little, the side of his mouth twitching up, the expression looking out of place and tense on his face. 

Jinki has no explanation for why she takes the two steps to him. The small drop in the floor putting her at a good enough height that she barely has to go up on her toes and she kisses him, fleeting and soft, right on his lips. 

“Bye, Jongin,” she says breathlessly.

“Bye, noona,” he whispers back, eyes wide. 

When the door closes behind him, she slides down the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. “I’m so fucked.”


	2. Chapter 2

After Jinki finally picks herself up from the floor, she finishes her writing assignment and tucks her books away. She briefly entertains the idea of calling Key or Lu Han before remembering that they had plans for the weekend. They have their regular girl’s only brunch on Sunday, Jinki’s only exception to going out this weekend. 

When she walks into the kitchen, her mug from earlier is still sitting on the table. She pours the cold coffee down the sink, feeling a tug in her chest. It’s eight o’clock on a Friday night and she’s been doing _homework_ all evening, barring the visit from Jongin.

It’s rather depressing, she thinks. She grabs the bottle of peach soju she has been saving for a rainy day and makes a nest of pillows on the couch before settling in to watch _Titanic_. Drinking while watching a movie she’s seen a million times before only turns into a time for her mind to wander.

She can’t reconcile the Jongin she actually knows, the cute, blushing kid that she’s known for years who came to her tonight because he “felt bad” for lying to her, with the guy who was in the closet with her only a week ago. Although, if she’s remembering it correctly, she _was_ the one leading him through the mostly clumsy encounter. And he was so eager. She remembers that part _clearly_.

There is no way that she can forget the way he kissed her, touched her. It makes her ache all over again, and she’s not sure if being able to put a face to everything that happened is a good or bad thing. 

Jinki has never been one to go for relationships of the romantic type. Sure, she has lots of friends, and she’d had a couple of random hook ups over the years. Minjung two years ago was the last wild and crazy thing she’d done. It ended up with them laughing about it and remaining friends, especially since Junghee had been pining for Minjung secretly and hadn’t told anyone. Before that the only thing Jinki can recall is sleeping with Jung Yunho during her senior year of high school. Of those experiences, neither even comes remotely close to the things she felt with Jongin, the heat and intensity of attraction...

It scares her, for so many reasons.

The plans and expectations she has set for herself, those don’t include anyone else. No relationships, only total focus on her studies and then a job, and then, _maybe_ , she can have time to worry about something like a significant other. 

She worries about the things people would say, do say about her. She can handle Key, Junghee, and Minjung and their teasing about hookups. They know she’s just not into that kind of scene. She wonders what others think when they look at her. Do they see a determined, smart, single, young woman, or is she some weird, lonely girl who can’t date?

Jinki sighs. _Everything is stupid,_ she thinks.

She’s nearly finished with the bottle of soju when Taemin comes home and plops down beside her on the couch just as the movie is ending. She wipes a few stray tears from her cheeks, laughing at herself for crying at the movie _again_ , though she wonders if some of the tears are directed at the sad state of her life.

“Have fun?” she asks, leaning against him, offering him the last bit of soju as she switches the TV to some random late night show broadcast

He grins and takes a long drink, draining the bottle. “I did. We’re going out again sometime. I really like her.”

Jinki smiles. “I’m happy for you, Taeminnie,” she says softly. 

They sit in the dark, the silence comfortable, until Taemin asks her a rather odd question.

“Hey, noona? Why don’t you date?”

Jinki snorts, wondering what kind of sibling telepathy they have going on tonight.

“I mean, you’re really pretty and mostly awesome and can handle your drinks better than just about anyone I know.”

“Hey! Why only _mostly_ awesome, you ass?”

“You’re my sister. I can’t inflate your ego too much,” he retorts with a laugh. “You go out with your friends a good bit, like right after classes. But you rarely go to parties or any of the school stuff, unless it’s one of my games. And I’ve just never heard you say that you like anyone, or seen you go out with just one person.”

Jinki shrugs. “I’m just busy.”

“It’s college. Everyone is busy.” Taemin loops his arm around Jinki’s shoulders, pulling her close and laying his cheek against the top of her head. “I’m just saying. If you want to do things like that, you should. If you don’t, that’s fine too. I don’t want you to think that you have to, I don’t know, keep doing things like you always have?”

Jinki can feel tears welling up in her eyes as she realizes how much Taemin has noticed over the years.

“You’ve worked really hard for so long and I’m proud of you, but if you want to just let loose and have fun, you can. Hell, even if you just go to the movie theatre alone to watch something, just don’t stay cooped up in here all weekend, every weekend. Don’t turn into a drunk cat lady with no cats. Okay?”

Jinki nods, laughing and sniffling a little, rubbing her dripping nose on Taemin’s shirt out of spite.

“Oh my god, that’s gross. I’m trying to have a nice family moment and you do something like that!” Taemin whines.

“Please tell me you didn’t whine at Chanyeol tonight,” Jinki says.

“Of course not! She wouldn’t have offered to go out with me again if I had!”

\--

Brunch turns out to be an interesting time. Minseok and Lu Han have somehow managed to convince Jongdae’s girlfriend Joonmyeon to join them this time. She’s seated between Jinki and Minseok, and keeps mostly quiet. Or maybe that is just a testament to the fact that Junghee and Minjung tend to be rather loud when they’re in close quarters and it can scare people. 

So when, after a few mimosas and bellinis have been ingested, Joonmyeon suddenly asks, “So is everyone here a lesbian except me?” Jinki nearly spits her drink across the table.

Key’s laugh is the loudest of them all, and Lu Han and Minseok just look shocked. “Okay, so,” Key starts, gesturing with her fork. “Junghee and I have been dating since my sophomore year. Minjung joined us the first semester of junior year.”

“Minseok and I have been together since the summer before freshman year,” Lu Han adds. “We met at soccer camp.”

Joonmyeon nods and then looks expectantly at Jinki. 

“Um. I don’t date,” she says uncertainly, picking at her napkin.

“You hooked up with me before I got with these two,” Minjung pipes up.

“But you hooked up with a dude at Baekhyun’s last weekend,” Minseok points out.

“I’m inclined to believe she’s a little more swayed by dick these days,” Lu Han says, popping a strawberry in her mouth and grinning. Joonmyeon looks a little scandalized at Lu Han’s language.

“Speaking of the mystery guy, do you know who he is yet?” Junghee asks. 

Jinki grabs her drink in an attempt to avoid the question, guzzling half the glass even as her face heats up.

“So you _do_ know who it is!” Minseok crows, leaning over the table. 

“Is he cute?”

“How old is he?”

“Do we know him?”

Jinki groans. She’d been hoping this topic would be avoided. “God, why are you all so invested in this?” she whines, making Lu Han coo at her. 

“Because this is the most exciting thing to happen in our little group in a while!” Key says, clapping gleefully. “So tell us! Details, woman!”

Joonmyeon looks so confused and Jinki takes pity on her. “Let me fill you in,” Jinki says. “I don’t date. Yes, I hooked up with Minjung, and yes, I played seven minutes in heaven with because of a stupid dare at a party and because the idiot trio convinced me that it would be a good time. Minseok and Lu Han just think this is hilarious and wonderful. My friends are jerks.”

Joonmyeon laughs. “So you’re the one that Baekhyun and Jongdae put in the closet that night.”

Jinki drops her head to the table and wails.

\--

When Jinki gets to her office on Monday morning, there is a mini Snickers rather crudely taped to her door knob. She rolls her eyes because there is only one person that she knows of that eats these things regularly and he always leaves the neat little pile of wrappers on his desk after class.

She notices how quiet the Modern Lit class is and almost marks Baekhyun absent until she sees him sitting there taking notes instead of contributing to the discussion. He slips out the back door of the classroom before she gets a chance to talk to him.

“Knock, knock.”

Jinki looks up from her computer to see Lu Han sticking her head in the doorway. “Hey. What’s up?”

“I have extra food for lunch,” Lu Han says, holding up the bags in her hands. “I forgot Seok had a thing today and I don’t want it to go to waste.”

“Oh! Yeah, here.” Jinki clears off the end of her desk, letting Lu Han unpack the food while Jinki goes to the vending machines for drinks.

When they finish eating, Jinki flops back in her chair with a happy sound. “I’m so full. Why are you such a good cook? Minseok should marry you quickly, or I will.”

Lu Han laughs. “Thanks.” She begins cleaning up the containers, tossing the wooden chopsticks in the bin before sitting back down. “So listen. You know we don’t mean anything by our teasing right?”

Jinki blinks at her, sitting up a little straighter. “Of course. Why would you...Do you guys think I’m mad at you for that?”

“Well, I could tell you were uncomfortable, especially when Minseok said something about you knowing who the guy is.”

Jinki waves her off. “No, really. I’m not mad or anything. It’s just a weird situation.”

“Like weird because you found out who he is, or that you’re attracted to him, or what?” Lu Han asked.

“All of the above?” Jinki starts shredding an extra napkin to bits. “I don’t know. This is confusing. And yes, he is younger than me, a lot younger. He’s kind of...okay not kind of. He’s really fucking attractive, in a lot of ways.” Jinki feels a small smile tugging at her lips as she thinks of Jongin.

Lu Han purses her lips. “Okay, well if you’re worried about corrupting kids, he’s at least legal, right?”

Jinki nods, laughing. “He even told me that he’s liked me for a while, said it was why he agreed to Baekhyun’s stupid game. I guess, maybe, I kind of like him too but....”

“So he likes you. You like him. There’s a sexual chemistry here. Forgive me, but I don’t see the problem,” Lu Han says.

“It’s complicated for a lot of reasons. For one, I don’t do things like this. I’m too worried about school and making sure I keep on top things academically so I can keep a roof over mine and Taemin’s heads. I don’t need the stress of a relationship.” Jinki feels like the excuse is weak, but she can’t just tell the other girl, _Oh, by the way, Kim Jongin is who we’re talking about._

Lu Han looks flustered. “Jinki, no one works harder than you at academics. Seriously, even I’m jealous of how well you do in school. We wouldn’t have our TA positions and our work study hours on top of taking classes if the department heads didn’t think we could handle this, but this is school. It’s not a career. You don’t have to be a workaholic.”

Jinki almost feels offended, but she knows Lu Han is right. 

“As for the relationship stress thing...” Lu Han waves her hands around. “Sex and exercise are like the two best stress relievers ever.”

“I’m not going to play with someone’s emotions just for sex, Lu Han!” Jinki is shocked.

“No! I’m not saying that! It would just a be a nice bonus, if you dated him, yeah?”

“True,” Jinki muses. 

Lu Han glances at the clock. “I should get back to my own office. Just know if you decide to ignore this or run with it, that’s your decision. You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone. Just do what makes you happy, and if you do something and don’t tell us a word, that’s fine too.” 

When Jinki stands, Lu Han grabs her in a tight hug. “Thanks, Lu.”

\--

It’s nearly another week before Jinki does anything with the information that she has and the decision she makes. There’s a candy bar on her doorknob every day when she shows up, and she gets a good laugh about it. 

She texts Lu Han and Minseok, asking them if they’re going to the first home soccer game. They ask if Jinki wants a ticket. She tells them yes, and then she gets to work.

All week, she manages to get ahead in her school work enough that she can relax from Thursday onward. On Friday morning, she empties her drawer of all of Baekhyun’s apology Snickers. The poor boy must have given her a whole bag of them. She makes it to the classroom before it gets too crowded and sees Baekhyun and Jongdae sitting in their corner. 

She drops the bag on Baekhyun’s desk and he looks up, mouth dropping open in surprise. She leans in, grabbing him by his face and pulling him forward over his desk. “I swear to god, if you weren’t you I would probably kiss you right now. I’m not mad at you so stop leaving me candy. If you tell anybody about me and him, I will personally string you up to a soccer goal, naked, and leave you there. Got it?”

Baekhyun nods, eyes wide, lips pursed, cheeks squished in Jinki’s hands for a moment before she lets him go.

“Same goes for you, Jongdae,” Jinki says, pointing in his direction.

“Yes. I don’t even know what you’re talking about but yes, I agree to your terms, please don’t hurt me,” he sputters, completely stunned at Jinki’s outburst.

The game is on Sunday afternoon and the weather is incredibly nice. Jinki meets Lu Han and Minseok in the lobby of their building and they make their way to the stadium together. 

“This is nice,” Minseok says. “I didn’t expect you to want to come out with us.”

Jinki hums, sharing a smile with Lu Han. “I decided to do something different for a change.” She pulls out her phone as they sit down. 

 

**To: ㄴ**   
_can we meet after the game? by the practice field bleachers?_

 

She’s grateful that she changed the contact name days ago, just in case, when Lu Han leans over trying to peek at the screen. Lu Han just gives her a smug look and settles into Minseok’s side. Jinki doesn’t expect a reply until halftime or later, so when her phone buzzes a few minutes later, it surprises her.

 

**From: ㄴ**   
_yeah. 30mins after whistle?_

**To: ㄴ**   
_ok_

 

Jinki breathes out, trying to calm the nervous feeling in her stomach as the captains walk out for introductions and the coin toss.

\--

Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Joonmyeon join them just after the start of the game. Lu Han and Minseok provide a rousing commentary, and teach everyone the school chants. The first goal comes from the opposing team just ten minutes into the game, and everyone in their little group expresses their displeasure loudly. 

“We really need a goal before the half, just for some momentum,” Minseok says, checking the time on her phone. “They have like two minutes, give or take.” Just then, Lu Han leaps out of her seat, yelling.

Moonkyu, at right defense, gets his foot under the ball and Taemin brings down the long kick just across midfield and starts dribbling along the sideline. Taemin spins around a defender, keeping the ball under his control, and kicks off a quick pass. The next thing Jinki sees is the ball hitting the back of the next and everyone is cheering as Taemin runs over to Jongin, picking him up as they yell happily.

The other team fights hard to break the tie before the half, but it’s useless. Minseok was right, the momentum going into the locker room was what they needed. The second half of the game seems to go by even more quickly, with Jongin and Taemin scoring another two points, and their defense holding the opposing team scoreless. 

Everyone stands, stretching. Lu Han turns to Jinki. “We’re all going for pizza, treating the team. You want to come with?”

“When? I have something I need to do in a few,” Jinki says, jiggling her legs nervously.

“Oh, it’ll be like an hour or so, once everyone gets cleaned up a little. Trust me, you don’t want to be in a room with all those sweaty, stinky boys,” the other girl says, laughing. 

“Yeah. I’ll just meet you guys wherever. Text me?”

“Okay.” Lu Han grins, leaning a little closer as she whispers, “good luck,” just loud enough for Jinki to hear.

Jinki smiles, grateful for the support. She waits around the entrance until everyone has left before she makes her way around the stadium toward the practice field. She walks up the ramp and sits down on the bottom row, looking toward the back of the locker room facility. 

She doubts herself for a moment, still questioning if she wants to go through with this or not, when a lone figure slips around the side of the field house and heads in her direction. Taking a deep breath, she stands, walking back down the ramp and leaning against the steel supports while she waits.

She feels her phone buzz in her pocket and checks the message. 

 

**From: Lu Han**   
_marions on main ;)_

 

She slides the device back into her pocket as Jongin rounds the corner of the bleachers. He’s dressed in a light hoodie and dark skinny jeans, and Jinki kind of just wants to grab him for reasons.

“Hi,” she says instead.

“Hey.” He glances at her from under his wet hair, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “You wanted to meet?”

Jinki shifts. “Yeah. I just needed to. I have a lot I want to say to you.”

He looks a little frightened, almost like he’s expecting her to yell. Jinki wonders if her outburst toward Baekhyun on Friday had made the campus gossip rounds.

“I’m not going to yell at you or anything, Jongin,” she says quietly, reaching out to to tug on his sleeve. He relaxes a little, unfolding and standing a little straighter. 

“Okay?”

“I know this is an awkward situation for the both of us, and probably not what either of us had in mind for a potential relationship, or confession, or whatever,” Jinki starts. “But, if you want, I’m willing to work with it. If you want to do this?” She bites her lip, watching his face in the dim lighting.

Jongin just blinks at her before asking, “Why?”

Jinki shrugs, seeing no reason to not tell the truth. “Because I had some time to think, and I had people come talk to me even when they didn’t know the full story. They told me to basically do what makes me happy, because, honestly, I haven’t been. Not for a long time. Or I was looking for it in the wrong places. I don’t know. But the point is, I had fun that night. It felt good. _You_ felt good to me.” Jinki pauses, a little embarrassed at the words spilling out of her mouth. 

“Noona, I—”

“Wait. Just let me say this,” Jinki pleads. When he nods, she continues, “It didn’t make things worse when you told me it was you. I think...I think it made it...better?” She covers her face for a moment. “Because, I’m not sure if you know this, and you really should, but you’re _really_ attractive.” 

Jongin laughs, covering his own face at that. “Oh god, I’m not.”

Jinki reaches up, catching his wrists and pulling his hands down, giggling at his cute smile. “You are, though. It’s been something that I thought about probably more than I should have, even before that night at Baekhyun’s. ‘Cause you’re really adorable and funny and you like puppies and action movies, and I know this is also probably a bad idea on so many levels. We’re so different and you’re friends with Taemin, for god’s sake. But we won’t know if we don’t try, right?”

Jongin is quiet as she finishes talking, looking down at their hands, lacing his fingers through Jinki’s “You’re serious? You really want to try this?” he asks softly. Jinki can see the uncertainty in his eyes when they meet hers.

She nods, biting her lip, holding her breath as she waits for his answer.

The shy smile that spreads across his face breaks the nervous knot in Jinki’s stomach. “Okay. Yeah. I want to try,” he says. Jinki lets her breath out in a whoosh and squeezes his hands, positively giddy, a grin splitting her face.

Jongin leans in. “Is this okay?” In answer, Jinki goes up on her toes, meeting him halfway. His lips are chapped from the wind, but warm against hers. It’s an awkward mess, especially when they both laugh, right in each other’s faces. Jinki leans into his chest when she come back down her heels. He’s so warm, and he smells nice, the scent of his body wash minty and clean. He hugs her closer. 

Jinki bites her lip, this is the worst part she thinks. “Hey, Jongin?”

“Hmm?” He pulls back a little, looking down at her. 

“I don’t...Can we not tell anyone? Right now, I mean?” she asks. He looks at her questioningly. She feels bad for putting a condition on him. “I don’t know how to explain this. I’m just not used to this stuff, and I don’t know how people will react, like Taemin for one. I just don’t want anyone to know right now. I just want to keep this all to myself, to us, for a while.” She feels selfish for asking this of him.

He nods, dipping his head to kiss her gently. “It’s okay. I want to keep you to myself too,” he says, smiling.

 _Okay, maybe being a little selfish isn’t all that bad,_ Jinki thinks, squeezing him again, comfortable against his chest. “And I really hate to do this, but I promised Lu Han, I’d meet them all for dinner. So I kind of need to head out.” 

“Yeah, pizza for the team. I’m headed there too,” Jongin says. “I’ve got to run back to the locker room for my bag, so you go ahead.”

“Okay. I’ll see you there.” Jinki is reluctant to let go, wanting to be selfish for a little while longer. Jongin gives a little wave before jogging back toward the locker room.

The party is in full swing when Jinki arrives at the pizza parlor. The former players had called ahead to reserve the party room. Lu Han bounces over when Jinki walks into the room.

“Everything okay?” she asks.

Jinki grins. “Perfect.” 

Just then Taemin, bursts inside, Jongin and Moonkyu in tow. “Noona! You came! Did you see my goal?” He wraps her up in a hug, making her laugh at his excitement. 

“I did! Congrats on the win.” She grins at Jongin over Taemin’s shoulder before he moves toward the tables full of pizza. 

Jinki gets a plate of her own, suddenly starving. She spots an empty chair, next to Baekhyun and drops into it. She laughs when he glances at her warily from the corner of his eye as he bites into a slice of pizza. She punches him on the thigh playfully. “Thank you,” she says quietly, darting her eyes across the room. 

When he figures it out, the expression on Baekhyun’s face is priceless.

\--

Jinki doesn’t know how these things are supposed to work. She and Jongin text quite a lot. Taemin brings him over for dinner as usual. They don’t get time to themselves, other than quick meet ups behind the field house and a couple of times in the library. 

A few weeks after the game, on a Thursday night, she’s sitting in her office after hours playing Candy Crush Soda Saga. For the extra work hours, she had volunteered to hang around in her office so students can drop their papers off. It’s a little after six in the evening and she’s bored out of her mind.

 

**To: ㄴ**   
_what are you doing?_

**From: ㄴ**   
_just finished at the gym_

**To: ㄴ**   
_come see me?｡◕‿◕｡_

**From: ㄴ**   
_where_

**To: ㄴ**   
_my office. working ㅠㅠ_

**From: ㄴ**   
_there in a few ^^_

 

Jinki wriggles excitedly in her chair, pulling a sheet of paper off the printer and scribbles a “Out to Dinner. Slide papers under the door. Thanks!” sign onto it. Five minutes later, there’s a knock on the door.

“Come in!”

Jongin peeks around the door, smiling. “Hey.” He’s dressed in sweats and a soft t-shirt, hair falling damp over his forehead. 

Jinki grins, pulling him inside, reaching to tape the sign on the door as he drops his bag by her desk. She flicks the lock when it closes. “Hi, you,” she says, biting her lip for a moment before pulling him in for a kiss.

This, the kissing, the closeness, is something that she can’t get used to, but she can’t get enough of it either. They haven’t been in private enough spaces, or had enough time, for things to get as heated as they did in Baekhyun’s closet that night, but _god_ , Jinki just loves kissing him. He’s eager and gentle all at the same time, and sometimes a little too polite about it. She’s tried to tell him to lighten up a little. He’s smiling when she pulls back.

Jinki grabs the cushions from her chairs and throws them on the floor in front of her desk. “C’mon. Sit,” she says, flopping down onto the soft cushions.

“So why are you working?” he asks, settling with his back to her desk, her leaning against his side, their legs stretched out in front of them.

“Papers are due today. Someone just has to be here to collect them.” Jinki trails her hand down Jongin’s arm winding their fingers together, pouting. “I was just so bored. I used all my lives on Candy Crush.”

He laughs. “I swear you’re addicted to those games.” 

“They shouldn’t make them so fun! It’s not my fault!”

“Yeah, yeah.” 

Jinki is a little surprised when he nudges her chin up with his hand, kissing her, slow and deep, and very different from the last few times they’ve been alone together. She whines, turning a little as his arm slips around her waist. He nips at her lower lip, making her gasp and press herself closer for a moment before she pulls away to catch her breath. 

“Okay?” he whispers. 

She nods. “How many times do I have to tell you, if I don’t like something, I’ll let you know?”

“I just want to make sure it’s okay,” he says.

“Everything has been more than okay.” She leans in, catching his bottom lip between hers, sucking lightly at the soft flesh until it start to swell a little and he whimpers, his arms tightening around her. 

He’s the one to pull away this time, panting. “Can we. Just.” He moves to lie back on the floor, pulling Jinki with him until she’s pressed all along his side, their legs tangling.

“Oh, yes, this is nice,” Jinki concurs, crawling up a little, pressing her chest against his as she chases his mouth. “Kinda dirty though.”

“Oh well,” Jongin says, his fingers tangling through her hair as he pulls her down for a kiss. 

It’s exhilarating, she thinks, her body against his like this, his hands barely slipping under her t-shirt. She arches, pushing her back against his broad palms, long fingers. “You’re always so warm. I love it,” she says, dragging her mouth against his jaw. 

“Real—”

There are footsteps in the hallway and Jinki lifts her head, putting a finger over her lips, grinning wickedly when they stop outside her door. She wriggles against him, arching into his hands when they slip further up her shirt, his fingers splaying over her back. 

There’s the sound of paper on carpet and an essay comes sliding under the door,and footsteps moving away from the door then. Jinki moves, crawling on all fours over Jongin toward the door to grab the paper, shivering when his hands slide down her back. “Sorry. Just gonna put this here so it doesn’t get shoved around by the next one.” She puts the paper on her desk, moving back toward her previous position.

Jongin is red in the face, eyes looking everywhere but at her as he bites his lip. 

“You okay?” He nods glancing shyly at her before his gaze flickers down and then away from her again. It takes her a moment to figure it out and when she does she bursts out laughing, pushing her face into his chest. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

Jinki can sometimes be the most unobservant person and this is one of those times. She was not thinking at all when she crawled over him, her loose V-neck shirt gaping at the chest, and likely centered right over his face.

“It’s okay,” he says, patting her awkwardly on the back, making her laugh more. “I.. uh. They’re really, like _really_ nice,” he splutters. 

She raises her head to look at him. “Yeah? You think so?” He nods, licking his lips. Then, Jinki remembers that night in the closet, almost gasping at the thought of him putting his hands under her clothes now. They haven’t done anything like that again, but the very idea of it makes her feel like she’s burning up from the inside out.

“Jongin, do you want to...” She reaches out for his hand, moving it to her stomach where her shirt has ridden up, coming untucked from her jeans as she had moved against him. “Please?”

She’s surprised when he moves to roll her over onto her back, a shocked sound leaving her when she lands on the floor under him. He tucks one of the cushions under her head, propping himself up on his right arm, his left hand slipping under her shirt. 

“Like this?” he asks softly, his fingers tripping up her side, finding the stretch of her bra band around her ribs.

She nods, reaching for him, pulling him closer, wanting his mouth against hers again. She moans around his tongue when he moves to cup her breast, kneading gently. She arches, pushing into the touch, feeling her nipple harden under his palm, rubbing into the padding of her bra. She whimpers his name, head dropping back as he trails kisses down her neck, nosing at the V of her shirt. She bites her lip, holding back a cry when his mouth finds the top of her breast, kissing at the edge of her bra right where the softness spills over a little with every squeeze of his fingers.

“Jongin,” she sobs, tangling her fingers into his hair, her legs restless against the floor as she moves against him.

“Jinki, I don’t know. You have to tell me,” he says, kissing every bit of flesh he can reach. 

“Shit.” She tugs at his hair gently, pulling his head up. “Have you done any of this before?” 

His cheeks go pink. “I’m not a virgin if that’s what you mean.”

“But?” She trembles under him, raking her fingers through his hair, his thumb still rubbing at her through her bra sending little zaps of pleasure through her system. 

“You’re just so... The way the you react, I’ve never seen anything like it,” he says, pressing his fingers against her just a little harder. The way she whimpers and arches into the touch proves his point. 

“I just know what feels good for me,” she pants. “God knows I’ve had enough practice on my own to figure that out.” It takes a second but Jinki can see it on his face when he realizes that she’s talking about masturbation, his mouth forming a soft ‘O’ of surprise.

“Yeah, so don’t worry about me,” she says with a smile. “Touch me how you want to. You’ll know if I like it or not. Got it?” 

Jongin nods. “Yup. So, if I want to do this...” he slips his hand down a little, fingers hooking under the underwire of her bra and tugging a little.

Jinki laughs. “Okay, this one has straps. It’s not going anywhere without my help.” She moves to sit up, pushing at him to move back a little. She reaches back under her shirt and unhooking her bra. 

His reaction is amusing, the way his eyes are are glued to the movement under her shirt. She’s aware that he can probably see her nipples through the thin material as she slips her bra out of her sleeve and tosses it to the side

She stretches out on the floor, him on his knees between her thighs. “Go for it,” she says.

His hands are back under her shirt quickly, fluttering against her skin, fingertips brushing the soft undersides of her breasts. She bites her lip, whimpering, nodding, arching her back in an attempt to push herself into his hands and praying with everything in her that she doesn’t sound desperate when she breathes, “please."

Her breath hitches when he gently cups her breasts, just feeling the warmth and weight of them against his palms. "Jongin," she gasps, shuddering under his touch. Her hands come up, grasping at his forearms. It’s too good, too much, when his fingers close on her nipples, tugging gently. She sobs his name, body going taut, her legs squeezing around his hips as her cunt clenches, aching.

He licks his lips, his eyes moving between her face and the movement of his hands under her shirt. “Are you okay?” he whispers, gently squeezing at the soft flesh in his palms, thumbs brushing over her nipples softly. 

She nods, whining, her hands sliding up his arms to grab at his shoulders, pulling him down against her, making him move his hands from under her shirt to keep from squishing her, dropping down onto his forearms. “It’s good, really good,” she breathes, kissing him hard, biting at his lips. She can’t remember ever feeling something this intense. She wants so _much_ but she can barely make her tongue and her brain work together, not when he’s touching her like this.

“Jongin,” she whines into his mouth. “Jongin, please.” She loops her legs around his hips, pulling him closer.

He groans, squeezing his eyes shut. “Jinki, ah, fuck.” He pushes his hips against hers, moaning at the way she spasms against him. 

That’s the first time she’s heard him sound so utterly wrecked. She can feel him, his cock hard in his sweats as she pushes her hips up against his. Her office floor isn’t exactly the best place for this but she can’t find it in her to care too much.

She whimpers, her head dropping back. She grabs his hair when he kisses at her neck, breathing her name against her skin as they rock together. She can feel the pleasure coiling in her belly just from this, being pressed against him.

“Jongin, oh my god,” she pants, clinging to him, arching her back off the floor when his hand slips up her shirt again. “I thought about it, that night after I got home. I got myself off thinking about you, about you touching me.” 

Jongin makes a loud, rough noise against her shoulder, his hips pushing against her once, twice—“ _Jinki!_ ”

Jinki gasps, tightening her legs around his hips, holding him in place as he grinds against her. The way he feels riding out his orgasm, the way the line of his cock presses the seam of her jeans against her _just so_ , has her coming hard, a high breathy whine falling from her lips. 

Jongin drops down against her, breathing hard against her shoulder, slight tremors wracking the both of them as they come down.

There’s a loud knock at the door. Jinki’s heart nearly stops. She shakes her head when Jongin raises his to look at her, eyes wide. A second knock follows quickly.

“I know you’re in there. And, in case you’re wondering, no the place isn’t soundproof. I think my ears are bleeding, shit. But anyway, here’s my paper. If you get any jizz on it, I don’t want it back,” Baekhyun’s voice filters through the door, followed quickly by his paper sliding underneath.

Jongin stops holding his breath and drops his head back to Jinki’s shoulder as she relaxes, listening as Baekhyun’s footsteps fade out. Then she laughs, clinging to Jongin’s shoulders, until he picks his head up and kisses her breathless.

“I should get going,” he says quietly when he pulls back, his eyes roving her face. “I have homework and I really need to change now.” He grimaces when he shifts, pushing up to sit back on his heels. Jinki pulls a face, not exactly comfortable herself when she feels the way her panties cling to her inside her jeans as she sits up.

“Sorry, I didn’t expect to...” Jinki trails off gesturing between them.

“No, I know. Me neither,” Jongin says, reaching over to grab his gym bag and pull a towel out of it. “Sorry. I need to, um...” He motions at the front of his sweats. Jinki blushes when she realizes what he means to do.

“Oh! Yeah. Just.” She grabs her bra from the floor, turning her back to him and slipping it back on under her shirt. She grabs Baekhyun’s paper from the floor, setting it atop the pile on her desk. 

“Okay, I’m good,” Jongin says. Jinki can’t help the way her eyes trail downward when she turns. He flushes, situating the strap of his bag on his shoulder. “I got lucky that I wore black.”

“Oh god, I’m sorry and you have to walk home like this,” Jinki groans, making him laugh. 

“Don’t be sorry. It’s dark and I’m going straight there. It’s not too far.” He leans in, dropping a kiss on her mouth. “Text me later, yeah?”

She nods, a goofy smile on her face. “I will.” She moves to open the door for him, peeling the sign off as she watches him turn the corner of the hallway, peeking back to grin at her.

“Wow,” she murmurs dropping into her chair. The swooping feeling in her stomach makes her giggly with disbelief at what they just did in her office, of all the places. “I’m crazy, I swear.” She grabs her phone, seeing the notification for full lives on Two Dots.

She’s about to waste her third life when she looks up, her eyes landing on Baekhyun’s paper. She tilts her head at the title: _Reasons to Not Fall in Love According to Jay Gatsby_. That’s interesting... She glances at the clock, figuring that she should be able to finish reading it before she has to go.  
\--

The weekend is a whirlwind. 

Everyone heads to the soccer game on Saturday afternoon. Jinki’s made it a point to join everyone for all the home games. Lu Han makes sure to get her a ticket to the game and Minseok brings a thermos full of coffee for them all to share. Minjung and Junghee proclaim themselves the cheerleaders of the group, going so far as waving pompoms they bought from the university bookstore. 

Taemin is ecstatic with the knowledge that she’s getting out of the house more often, looking for her when he’s on the sidelines before the start of the games. She always sends a good luck text to him when she knows he’s still in class, so he can see it before the game. 

She and Jongin work out a system for themselves. Good luck texts and plans for after game meet ups are not unusual. Tonight is an exception though. He just said they couldn’t meet afterward, that he would explain later. 

So Jinki sits in the stands watching the game, Baekhyun leaning against her side. During halftime, they make a concession stand run for everyone, Jinki dragging him up beside her and giving him no choice but to go with.

“I read your paper,” Jinki tells him while they’re standing in line.

“Oh? Was it decent at least?” He bounces on the balls of his feet, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

“It was really good,” she says. “I don’t know how it’ll be graded since I’m not in charge of that for this paper. You had a lot of ideas I hadn’t thought about before though.”

“Ah. Well that’s good at least. I kind of scrapped the original idea I had, and wrote that one instead the night before.” He laughs dryly.

“But, I’m curious...You know this is academic writing, right?” She waits for him to nod before she continues. “I just felt like some of it seemed a little more personally biased than the papers you’ve turned in before. Not that it’s a bad thing, but I’m just wondering why?”

They step forward in the line, and Baekhyun shifts, pulling his shoulders up a little as if trying to hide. 

“Just. Shit happens, you know? Life isn’t like a lot of the books we read. Modern Lit is probably becoming my favorite class because of that, the fact that everyone doesn’t get their happy ending. Everyone doesn’t get to grow up with someone, have them become their high school sweetheart, go to college with them, and then get married and have the nice house and the dog and the kids.” 

Jinki looks at him, watching the myriad of expressions crossing his features. It’s startling how incredibly sad he looks.

“I guess that’s why, because I realized it when I was reading _Gatsby_ , you can’t help but root for the poor bastard even though you know he’s going to lose because of a lot of reasons. And you know the main reason he’s going to lose is because of his own decisions.”

“I never thought about it like that, but you’re right,” she agrees. “Does that mean you think you’re losing something because of a decision you’ve made?”

He shrugs. “I wonder.” He scuffs his feet against the cement as they step up to the window. 

While they wait for their order, Jinki loops her arm through his, squeezing tightly. “You know, if you need someone to talk to, my door’s always open.”

He laughs, really laughs this time. “Except when you’re ‘out to dinner,’ right?”

“God, I can’t believe you! You’re terrible!” She pinches his side through his jacket.

“I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t,” he says with a smile. “But thanks, noona.” 

They’re called for their order then, the time for conversation gone, especially when it’s a challenge to carry that much food back up to their seats.

\--

As it turns out, Jongin’s reasoning for not being able to meet up is because Taemin is bringing him home. They have papers to write for the General Psychology class they have together and Taemin suggested a “brainstorming session with noona!” but conveniently _forgot_ to inform said noona of it.

“Really? Do you know how long it’s been since I took that class?” Jinki says, biting back the urge to knock Taemin upside the head with the bag she’s holding. The only thing stopping her is the smell of spicy Mexican takeout wafting around them, honestly. Definitely not the puppy eyes Taemin turns on her.

“Please, noona? Just at least tell us if the ideas will be okay?” He pouts at her.

“Yeah. Please, noona?” Jongin says, joining in with his own pouting and puppy eyes.

Jinki growls. “I hate you both.”

\--

After dinner, Jinki gets comfortable, changing into sweats before she sprawls on the couch. She leaves the boys to look over their notes, scribbling ideas down as they sit with their backs to the couch, legs under the coffee table. 

She should have known better than to lie down after eating such a heavy meal. She dozes as she plays on her phone, nearly dropping it on her face at one point, making Taemin laugh and tell her to go to bed. 

She just waves him off, saying she’s fine.

The next thing she knows is jolting awake and all the lights are still on. She sits up, groggy, wiping a hand over her face as she looks around. 

Taemin is sound asleep on the coffee table, his head pillowed on his arms. Jongin is sleeping too, curled upon the floor between the couch and the table.

“Hey,” she says quietly, reaching out to shake Taemin. He grunts, twisting away from her. “Hey, Taem, come on.” 

He blinks at her slowly. “Huh?”

“Go to bed. It’s late. You guys fell asleep.” 

He nods, yawning as he unfolds himself from the floor, wincing when his back pops. He looks down at Jongin on the floor, confused. “Oh. I should get him a thing,” he says, flapping his hands. Jinki assumes he means a pillow by the way he’s looking at the ones on the couch with a baffled expression on his face.

Jinki shakes her head. “I’ll set him up on the couch. Get some sleep.”

Taemin mumbles unintelligibly before he starts toward his room, leaving Jinki to laugh at him.

She leans down, shaking at Jongin’s shoulder, until he rolls over to his back, his eyes fluttering open.

“Noona?” What’re you doin’ here?”

She laughs quietly. “You’re at my house. You guys fell asleep.” 

“Ah...” He makes a move to roll onto his side again, eyes already falling shut. 

“Hey, no, don’t go back to sleep.” She grabs his shoulders, pulling him up. “Come on, on the couch. Then you can sleep. I’ll get you a pillow and a blanket.” She’s amused, watching a six-foot-tall kid pull himself onto her couch and flop down face first, nuzzling into the cushions. 

She goes to the hall closet, grabbing a light blanket, stopping at her room to grab an extra pillow from the pile on her bed. When she returns to the living room, Jongin is curled on his side, staring sleepily at the TV.

“Here you go.” He reaches for the bedding, pulling the pillow under his head and tossing the blanket over himself half heartedly.

“Thank you,” he says around a yawn. Jinki starts by him to turn off the lights when he catches her wrist, pulling her down as he sits up a little. 

Oh...oh that’s...

It’s a little sloppy and and uncoordinated, but his lips are warm, his tongue flicking at the corners of her lip until she gasps, her mouth opening against his. He finally pulls away, sucking at her bottom lip enough to make her squirm. 

“What was that for?” Jinki breathes, her heart pounding in her chest. They’ve never done anything here, not her apartment, and especially not with Taemin so close by. The setting makes it kind of a thrill, she realizes.

“I just missed you. Sorry, we couldn’t go anywhere tonight,” he says, settling back into the couch.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize. School stuff is important too.” She drags her hand through his hair, the soft strands tangling around her fingers.

He smiles. “Good night, Jinki.”

“Sleep well.” She leans over, dropping a kiss on the corner of his mouth before she turns out all the lights in the kitchen and living room.

“Noona?” he calls softly, when she’s about the turn out the hall light.

“Yeah, Jongin?” She turns, seeing him lying there with his eyes closed.

“Next time, I wanna sleep with you, ‘kay? Wanna snuggle wif...” he trails off, his breathing evening out.

Jinki prays that he doesn’t actually talk in his sleep as she goes to her own bed.

She sleeps in the next morning and wakes up to an empty house. She rolls over to check her phone. Seeing that she has more than enough time to get ready to for brunch, she checks her messages.

 

**From: Taem**   
_going out for food. text me if you want smth_

**From: ㄴ**   
_i meant what i said last night_

**From: ㄴ**   
_your pillow smells like you btw ^///^_

 

Jinki pulls a pillow over her head and squeals kicking her feet into her mattress before she replies to anything.

 

**To: Taem**   
_meeting the girls today_

**To: ㄴ**   
_maybe sometime... what do i smell like? o.O_

 

She allows herself another minute to flail before she goes to shower, grin still firmly on her face.

\--

Brunch is always interesting, even more so this weekend because Chanyeol is joining them for the first time in a while, and she brought Sehun along.

By the time Key and Minjung have cooed over and coddled the freshman, she looks ready to run for her life. Chanyeol laughs, clinging to Sehun’s arm and keeping her in her chair. “I promise they’re not always this bad. They just like new people, even more so if you’re cute!”

Sehun just nods, skepticism written all over her face. Everyone gets a chance to introduce themselves, and Sehun takes an immediate liking to Lu Han and Minseok who are seated between Jinki and Sehun.

Minseok and Sehun begin discussing the finer points of some sport or another and Lu Han smiles fondly before turning to Jinki.

“So...?”

Jinki can feel a smile tugging at her lips. “So what?”

“You know what,” Lu Han says, nudging Jinki with her elbow. “Everything is good?”

Jinki nods. “Really good, actually.” She bites her lip, wondering if she should say anything else. It’s nice to have someone that she’s close with that knows a little bit about things. Baekhyun doesn’t count because this is all his fault, plus they don’t have that type of relationship for Jinki to be pouring all her girly mushy feelings out at him.

Lu Han smiles. “You seem a lot...happier now. Not that you weren’t before! Just, I don’t know. Something’s different. You come out with us a lot more, and it’s not a bad thing but you’re just so private sometimes that it’s hard to get a read on you,” she says, using her toast to mop up some of the runny egg yolk on her plate. “But if you’re happy, and things are good, I’m happy for you.”

“What things are good?” Key asks suddenly, the table going quiet. “Is there something you haven’t told me about, Jinki? I want to be happy for you too!”

Jinki looks at Key guiltily. “Um. Lu Han only knows because she gave me some advice, but...” She takes a deep breath, glancing at Lu Han.

“Jinki,” Lu Han starts, grabbing her hand under the table. “It’s up to you. It’s your business if you want to tell.”

Jinki nods, looking at her plate. “Um. I’m just kind of seeing someone,” she says, biting her lip and waiting for the outburst to start, but everything is still so quiet. When she finally looks up, everyone looks rather stunned.

Suddenly Key is out of her seat and rushing around the table to hug Jinki around her head. “My baby is growing up, oh my god!” she squeals, making everyone laugh. She finally moves back to her seat, brushing Jinki’s rumpled hair back down. 

“Okay so! Since I guess you’re not going to tell us who this someone is, that’s fine, but at least give us some of the details!” Key says. 

Jinki flushes. “W-we haven’t. Not yet. We haven’t done anything. I mean, kissing is good. I _really_ like kissing him.”

“Oh, my god, it’s a boy!” Junghee wails, falling over into Minjung’s lap dramatically. 

Chanyeol reaches over, patting Jinki on the hand. “It’s okay. You’re not alone here.” On the other side of Chanyeol, Joonmyeon looks like she wants to drown herself in her mimosa.

“Dear god.” Jinki rolls her eyes at the insanity that she’s brought to the table, but she’s grateful that they don’t push for more information, just letting her freely give out what she wants to tell. All in all, it’s better than keeping things bottled up, she thinks, remembering her talk with Baekhyun the day before. She makes a mental note to ask Lu Han the theory that she and Minseok have about Baekhyun at a better time.

Her phone buzzes under her leg and she checks the screen quickly.

 

**From: ㄴ**   
_i cant wait~ just you, clean, like flowers. is it your shampoo??_

 

Jinki has to bite her lip to keep from laughing at him. Her heart feels fluttery in her chest, when she thinks about the possibilities and when they could maybe get a chance alone to spend the night. 

\--

Two weeks later, on a Tuesday night, Jinki gets her chance. Taemin breezes through the living room toward his room after soccer practice, and says, “I’m going to Moonkyu’s. We have that project for geography that we need to finish before class in the morning.”

‘“What time are you coming home?” Jinki calls after him, not even looking up from her laptop.

It’s a few minutes before he comes back, hoisting his backpack up on his shoulder. “Planning to throw some wild party without me?” 

“No. I’m just wondering,” she says, putting the finishing touches on her document and saving.

“Anyway, I’m not coming back. I’ll just stay over there. So I’ll see you tomorrow night.” She hums, waving in his direction as she closes her laptop. “Remember: no wild parties or drinking!” he yells as he pulls his shoes on, his laugh echoing even after he closes the door. She shakes her head. _Idiot_ , she thinks affectionately.

She bites her lip, contemplating for a minute before grabbing her phone.

 

**To: ㄴ**   
_busy?_

**From: ㄴ**   
_nope_

**To: ㄴ**   
_wanna come over?_

 

Jongin doesn’t answer right away and suddenly she’s standing, pacing. She had told him sometime, maybe, but now she wonders if asking like this is too forward. Her ringtone blares suddenly and she dives for the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey. So. Seriously? Your house?” he asks, sounding a little breathless.

“Well, yeah. I mean, unless you don’t want to...” she says uncertainly.

“No! I want to. I just didn’t expect the invitation.” He laughs. 

“It’s fine,” she says. “I have the house all to myself. I’m just going to get dinner and watch a movie, but you could join. If you want.”

“I do want to,” he says, and she can practically hear his smile through the phone. 

“Um. If you want, you can bring a change of clothes? Stay the night?” Jinki bites her lip.

“Oh...but...”

“He’s out, staying over at Moonkyu’s tonight. He’s not coming back so...”

The line goes quiet. 

“Um. Yeah. Yes. Do you want me to bring anything else?” 

Jinki grins, flopping down on the couch. “No, just you, and your clothes. I’m just going to walk to the sandwich place just off campus. Where are you now?”

“I just got to my dorm.”

Jinki thinks about it quickly. “Since it’s about halfway between, you want to just meet me at the restaurant after you get your stuff? We can order take out and bring it back here?”

“Sounds good. I’m going to shower so give me about twenty minutes?”

“That’s fine.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye.”

Jinki ends the call and takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. Even if they don’t do anything, this is letting him in, being alone with him in the most comfortable place to her. The idea of it is exciting.

She moves to grab her wallet and a sweatshirt. She checks her hair, trying to kill a little bit of time, but she can’t stand it. She just needs to move, to work off the nervous energy. She decides to head out, and likely be a bit early.

When the elevator door opens to reveal Lu Han and Minseok all dressed up and on their way down as well, she almost panics. Jinki wonders what she must look like for Lu Han to give her such a strange look, but joins them anyway.

“Where are you guys headed?” Jinki asks, hoping it’s no where near where she’s going.

“Oh, we’re going to Ta Bella!” Lu Han exclaims. “We both had tonight free so we just decided to have our date night a little early in the week. What about you?”

“I’m just going to get a po-boy and then watch a movie. Taem’s out for the night so I can watch what I want on the TV for once,” Jinki answers. 

“Oh, po-boys sound good,” Lu Han says.

“Fresh breadsticks sounds better,” Minseok says, laughing as the elevator comes to a stop. 

“Have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jinki breathes a sigh of relief as they head the opposite direction.

She’s a few minutes early getting to the restaurant so she takes a seat on the bench outside, her legs bouncing with her nervous energy. It’s only a few minutes before Jongin walks up, a duffle bag hanging on his shoulder. 

“Hey. Am I late?” he asks. 

Jinki shakes her head, a little dumbstruck at the fact that they’re out in public together. She really didn’t think this through. “Sorry, I was a little early. So yeah. Food.” 

“Yup, food. I’m starving,” he says, opening the door for her. She smiles at the action, however small it may seem.

“So what do you want?”

They end up deciding on two fully dressed giant shrimp po-boys and orders of fries. Jinki insists on paying, and then Jongin insists that he’s going to carry the food home because she paid. She just rolls her eyes and lets him have his way.

The silence as they walk toward her apartment is comfortable, their fingers brushing as they go. When the elevator doors in her building close behind then, she leans into his side, smiling up at him. She unlocks her house, holding the door open. He kicks his shoes off and makes his way to the kitchen, putting their food on the table. 

“Where do you want me to put this?” He holds up his bag. 

“You can drop it in my room. Do you want to eat and then watch the movie or eat while we watch?” She asks, getting some glasses out of the cabinet. 

“What are we watching?” he calls.

“Jurassic World. I found it online.” 

Jongin looks a little squeamish when he returns. “Let’s eat first. I’m not sure I can handle dinosaur on dinosaur violence while eating.”

Jinki reaching out to catch his arm. “Hey. Come here.” The feeling of being completely alone together in private is electrifying, and Jinki grasps cheeks gently, pulling him down for a slow kiss, taking her time now that they don’t have to rush. “I’m glad you came over.” 

“Me too,” he says.

Dinner is nice. She swats at his hand when he reaches for her fries. He pouts at her when she manages to steal a shrimp that falls out of his sandwich. They trade stories about their circle of friends. Jinki tells him about Sehun coming to the girls brunch, and fitting in well. 

They talk about Taemin and Chanyeol and how that apparently just wasn’t working out for either of them for reasons they’re not disclosing. Jongin says that he thinks Chanyeol might like someone else. Jinki says that Taemin has been a moping mess for a week.

Jinki tells Jongin about Baekhyun and Jongdae bringing chemistry lab contraband into their English class last week and how they nearly burned a hole through the table they sit at. Jinki swears her ears are still ringing from the dressing down that the professor gave them.

Jongin fills her in on the soccer team happenings, and how Taemin found a moth in his locker and screamed bloody murder until Wonshik finally took pity on him and removed it. Jinki laughs so hard that her stomach hurts, all too familiar with Taemin’s reactions to bugs of any kind.

They clean up the kitchen together, sharing quick kisses as they load the dishwasher and throw out their trash. 

“I’m going to go change into something more comfortable after I hook my computer to the TV. So if you want to change too, you can go ahead.” He nods and heads for her room.

She sets up the movie and is just finishing when he returns wearing what looks like the softest pair of sweatpants ever and a worn t-shirt. He looks good like this, probably better than anything else, she thinks, but maybe that’s because she gets to snuggle up to him and watch a movie in a few minutes. 

“Be right back,” she says. She strips out of her jeans and and sweatshirt, thinks about it for a quick moment and then divests of herself of her bra too. It’s not like he hasn’t felt that before. She pulls on an oversized shirt and a pair of sweatpants. 

He smiles when she comes back into the living room. “You do look more comfortable now.”

“I feel like it.” She takes the seat next to him, pushing into his side. It’s nice when his arm settles around her waist, one of his big hands slipping under her shirt just a little, enough that his fingers brush the skin above her waistband. 

“I thought we were watching a movie,” she teases, leaning forward to press play, the theme music starting right away.

“Hmm... but what do most people go to the movie theatre for?” he shoots back, leaning in for a kiss. 

They make out for a few minutes, Jinki reaching over to slap the spacebar and missing the first few times. She giggles, finally managing to pause the thing. 

She ends up in his lap, her knees sinking into the cushions on either side of his hips, both of them still fully clothed. She can feel his cock hardening against her, the answering throb of her own body. His hands are on her hips, holding her just far enough back that they’re not grinding together. She pulls back, biting her lip. 

“I like kissing you.”

He grins, kissing her again. “Unfortunately, if you want to watch the movie, I’m afraid you can’t kiss me.”

She groans, sliding off of him. “I know. So let’s watch our movie. I demand cuddles, though.”

Jongin’s laugh is great, she thinks, when he lets out a loud guffaw. 

“You sound so stupid, oh my god,” she wails, dissolving into laughter herself.

They do cuddle, sneaking kisses in every once in a while. Jongin actually shouts at the part with the gyrosphere and Jinki laughs so hard she rolls off the couch.

“I thought they were going to die! Oh my god!” He yells, his hand over his chest. 

Jinki kisses him in apology for laughing at him, patting him on the chest and feeling his runaway heart beat slowing. She backs the movie up a little, still chuckling to herself. His hand slipping under her shirt again, fingers splaying over her tummy is a little more than distracting.

She’s amused by how expressive he is while watching the movie. “Oh my god, are you _crying_?” she asks at one part, which isn’t entirely fair because her own eyes are stinging. 

“NO!...yes...but she’s _dead_ , Jinki! I loved her!” Jinki snorts, laughing through her tears and nuzzling his shoulder. 

“Maybe she’s not. We still have a bit to go. Just keep watching!”

He cheers as the heroine makes her returns. “Yes! Thank god!”

Jongin yawns widely when the ending credits start. “That was actually good. Kind of scary in some parts, but I liked it.”

“Me too,” Jinki says, stifling a yawn of her own. “I’m getting sleepy.” She turns, nuzzling against Jongin’s shoulder. 

“Bedtime?” he asks softly. 

Jinki glances at the clock. “Yeah, I think so. It’s almost midnight.” She gets to her feet, turning to pull Jongin up as well. “You can go on. I’m going to brush my teeth first.” 

She notices her hands are shaking as she brushes her teeth and gets ready for bed. She’s too nervous, and she’s hoping he doesn’t pick up on that. She pads down the hallway to see him sitting at the end of her bed, toothbrush in his hands. “Bathroom’s free.”

“Okay.” He seems nervous too and for some reason that puts Jinki at little more at ease.

She slips off her sweatpants, tossing them over her vanity chair, and moves to sit on her bed. She sits indian style, picking at a thread on the comforter while she waits for him to come back from the bathroom. He smiles so softly at her when he steps inside her room, closing the door behind himself.

“Um. I usually sleep in this.” She motions at her oversized worn t-shirt and panties. “I hope it’s okay? If it’s not I can put on something else.”

“It’s fine,” he says, bending to put his toothbrush into his bag. Jinki let’s her eyes roam appreciatively over the curve of his butt in his sweats. 

“Since we’re talking about pajamas, would it be okay if I took my shirt off? I usually end up taking it off sometime in the night anyway, but I don’t want to push you out of bed.” He laughs nervously. 

“I don’t mind.” And, _oh_ , she really doesn’t mind when he grabs the hem of his t-shirt and strips it over his head. She takes in the miles of tanned skin, the shadows of his slight stomach muscles and the dip of his bellybutton. Unconsciously, she licks her lips when her eyes fall to the faint trail of dark hair beneath his navel, the cut of his hip above his sweats. He pulls her sheets back and climbs into bed. 

Jinki bites her lip, sliding off the bed to pull back the sheets on her side, and then joins him. She rolls to face him and he reaches out, tucking her hair behind her ear. 

“You know, when I said sleep, I did actually mean sleep. I’m not expecting anything from you, so if you don’t want to do anything, that’s okay,” he says softly. 

He tastes like her toothpaste when she kisses him, pulling him closer. Being in her bed, under her sheets, this feels like the most intimate they’ve been thus far, and she guesses that maybe it is for different reasons. This is being comfortable enough with him to let him into her space, something most people never get to see.

She sighs against his lips, sliding her hand up his back, feeling smooth skin under her fingertips. He’s almost unbearably warm against her, his body heat radiating through her t-shirt. She can feel her nipples pulling tight, just from dragging against his chest. She pulls back a little, shuddering from the feeling.

“Thank you. I mean, not that I don’t want you, but it’s late and it’s a school night.” She laughs a little at how stupid she sounds. “That was a dumb reason, sorry.”

“No, it’s not. We both have early classes.” He tightens the arm he has thrown over her side. “But, stuff like this. This is nice too.”

Jinki tucks her face into his neck with a smile, kissing lightly at the skin there. “I do remember you saying something about snuggling.” She rolls away from him for a moment to turn off the lamp, before coming back to lay against him.

“I was half asleep at the time, but yes. I like snuggling.” His low laugh makes his chest rumble in a soothing way and Jinki nuzzles against him. She falls asleep with his hands combing through her hair and his heartbeat under her cheek. 

Her last thought before she drifts off is that Jongin is practically perfect in every way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here ends Book 1!
> 
> If you would like to be updated on the developments of this series, please subscribe via the series page!
> 
> Book 2 - **Loose Lips Sink Ships All the Damn Time** (Jongin/girl!jinki) - COMING SOON.
> 
> Thank you again to everyone for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of an on-going series of parallel stories entitled the "SHINeEXO College AU". Many of the situations that happened with side-pairings here will be elaborated upon in separate stories.


End file.
